Once the model was created, it was implemented using Voyager, an environment for displaying 3D models that enables creators to build a compelling scholarly edition around the imported object. The final version of the model edition is the one you are now exploring.
The online publication involved a thorough research process, which included:
Each of these elements contributed to enhancing the model’s contextualisation and accessibility.
The implementation process is grounded in a thorough analysis of the object in the 3D environment, along with considerations on how to maximise the use of 3D models to stimulate curiosity among the audience and foster knowledge. The power of 3D models lies in the fact that they represent objects, which have many stories behind them waiting to be narrated. Indeed, the way we view, think and talk about objects transforms them into tools for teaching and learning.
The first step was, therefore, to learn how to exploit the object in the 3D environment as a tool for self-directed learning. This reflection led me to an in-depth analysis of the figurine’s actual characteristics, such as shape, measurements, materials, and sex identification markers, and prompted me to investigate aspects of the culture to which the object belongs, such as the origin of the model, production techniques, the significance of tambourine representations in coroplastic art, and the role of tambourine players in Cypriot society. The second step was to contextualise the figurine as a physical object now housed in a museum, learning about the acquisition process and collection history, as well as examining it as an object of study in archaeology and digital archaeology, reflecting on the benefits of possessing a digital model. The broader aim is to teach how to critically observe the 3D model and encourage the audience to look beyond its appearance, unveiling insights about both the past and modern society.